An exciting journey to discover northern Europe: the Südtirol Jazzfestival is proud to introduce its 2018 program and all concert dates

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The Südtirol Jazzfestival features more than 50 concerts across 18 municipalities and focuses on specific countries which, this year, even happen to include an entire group of states, thus again configuring itself as a large shop window for innovative music, representing a highlight in the European festival landscape. This year’s slogan is ‘Exploring the North’, and the Festival will be showcasing solo artists and bands from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and the Baltics between 29 June and 8 July. Moreover, ensembles from France, Germany, and Italy will be joining them, together with many groups formed to create exclusive projects. The calendar featuring all bands, line-ups, and dates can be viewed online at www.suedtiroljazzfestival.com

More than 160 musicians will travel to South Tyrol this summer, and the lion’s share works and lives in Scandinavian countries. ‘We’re exploring a vast geographical area which stands out for diverse scenes across individual countries. This is why we invited a considerable number of bands,’ reports the President and Artistic Director of the Südtirol Jazzfestival, Klaus Widmann. What we can say is that the Festival will be an exciting event: the colourful troupes from northern Europe will strum independent sounds which reel in pop, rock, noise, rap, and folk just as much as electro, free jazz or experimental tunes. Once again, the Festival will explore unchartered territory. Klaus Widmann explains that, ‘we wanted to show what’s current or what’s being created in the individual Nordic countries when it comes to music.’

In many cases it's women who set the tune as ‘side women’ or musical project leaders. Take band frontwomen Maria Faust (sax, Estonia), Hanna Paulsberg (sax, Norway), Kadri Voorand (voc, Estonia), Natalie Sandtorv (voc, Norway), Hannah Tolf (voc, Sweden) und Anni Elif Egecioglu (voc, Sweden) among many others. Incidentally, the German SiEA ensemble will be performing in South Tyrol as a ten-piece band exclusively composed by women.

If the world is your oyster, then South Tyrol is your stage: a good 46 locations in the province will host the 2018 Jazzfestival. Roads and squares, hotels, parks, alpine huts and refuges, cable car stations, museums and shops will all turn into a glittering musical stage. Take the Museion and the Talvera promenade, for example, where art and jazz meet, or the Batzen Sudwerk which will host five late-night concerts; in front of the Comici Hut, at the bottom of the Sassolungo, Finn saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen will be directing seven percussionists at the same time, while the Parkhotel Laurin will be hosting its very own jazz party; and what to say about Swedish piano virtuoso and ‘wine composer’ Tuomas A. Turunen who will ‘translate’ the aromas of Val Isarco wines into melodies and harmonies in Novacella?

Other locations will be featured for the first time on the festival’s programme: the building of the Top Haus AG in the Bolzano industrial estate, for example, will set the scene for the Festival’s kick off with concerts by the Euregio Jazzwerkstatt and Scandinavian guests. Other locations include the Covelano Marble quarry, the NOI Techpark, the rooftop of the Brixen Tourism Cooperative Association, the Fortezza Fortress, the Lieg quarry, the Trevi Centro Culturale or the Klughammer Guesthouse on the Vadena side of Lake Caldaro. Unusual locations, for remarkable musical experiences. In other words: "New Sounds – Fresh Perspectives".